SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 -------------------------- FORM 10-Q (Mark One) [X] Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 30, 1999, or [ ] Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the transition period from _____________________ to ______________________ Commission file number 0-16125 FASTENAL COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------ (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Minnesota 41-0948415 - ------------------------------- ------------------- (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 2001 Theurer Boulevard Winona, Minnesota 55987-1500 - ---------------------------------------- ---------- (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) (507) 454-5374 ---------------------------------------------------- (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) Not Applicable ---------------------------------------------------- (Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ] Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the last practicable date. Class Outstanding at October 15, 1999 - ---------------------------- ------------------------------- Common Stock, $.01 par value 37,938,688 FASTENAL COMPANY INDEX Page No. -------- Part I Financial Information: Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 1999 and December 31, 1998 1 Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the nine months and three months ended September 30, 1999 and 1998 2 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 1999 and 1998 3 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 4 Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations 5-11 Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk 11 Part II Other Information: Exhibits and reports on Form 8-K 11 - 1 - PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FASTENAL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) September 30, December 31, Assets 1999 1998 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 24,262,000 2,086,000 Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,200,000 and $740,000, respectively 90,751,000 68,498,000 Inventories 99,344,000 93,734,000 Deferred income tax asset 2,312,000 2,312,000 Other current assets 5,818,000 6,637,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current assets 222,487,000 173,267,000 Marketable securities 215,000 265,000 Property and equipment, less accumulated depreciation 78,733,000 74,212,000 Other assets, less accumulated amortization 3,386,000 3,490,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets $ 304,821,000 251,234,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 19,952,000 17,411,000 Notes payable 0 4,055,000 Accrued expenses 12,695,000 8,999,000 Income taxes payable 3,408,000 343,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current liabilities 36,055,000 30,808,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deferred income tax liability 2,780,000 2,780,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock 0 0 Common stock, 50,000,000 shares authorized 37,938,688 shares issued and outstanding 379,000 379,000 Additional paid-in capital 4,424,000 4,424,000 Retained earnings 261,665,000 213,615,000 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (482,000) (772,000) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total stockholders' equity 265,986,000 217,646,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 304,821,000 251,234,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements. - 2 - FASTENAL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited) Nine months ended Three months ended September 30, September 30, --------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- 1999 1998 1999 1998 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net sales $ 453,884,000 374,483,000 159,359,000 131,349,000 Cost of sales 215,814,000 176,435,000 76,112,000 61,834,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gross profit 238,070,000 198,048,000 83,247,000 69,515,000 Operating and administrative expenses 157,970,000 131,422,000 55,739,000 46,400,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating income 80,100,000 66,626,000 27,508,000 23,115,000 Other income (expense): Interest income 309,000 4,000 199,000 0 Interest expense (57,000) (905,000) 0 (308,000) Gain on disposal of property and equipment 294,000 43,000 101,000 11,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total other income (expense) 546,000 (858,000) 300,000 (297,000) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings before income taxes 80,646,000 65,768,000 27,808,000 22,818,000 Income tax expense 31,079,000 25,333,000 10,717,000 8,785,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net earnings $ 49,567,000 40,435,000 17,091,000 14,033,000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic and diluted earnings per share $ 1.31 1.07 .45 .37 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weighted average shares outstanding 37,938,688 37,938,688 37,938,688 37,938,688 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements. - 3 - FASTENAL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) Nine months ended Septmeber 30, ---------------------------------------- 1999 1998 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cash flows from operating activities: Net earnings $ 49,567,000 40,435,000 Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation of property and equipment 9,112,000 7,700,000 Gain on disposal of property and equipment (294,000) (43,000) Amortization of goodwill and non-compete 165,000 165,000 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Trade accounts receivable (22,253,000) (14,120,000) Inventories (5,610,000) (12,304,000) Other current assets 819,000 (811,000) Accounts payable 2,541,000 (1,127,000) Accrued expenses 3,696,000 2,341,000 Income taxes payable 3,065,000 1,477,000 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net cash provided by operating activities 40,808,000 23,713,000 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cash flows from investing activities: Additions of property and equipment, net (23,219,000) (25,298,000) Proceeds from sale of property and equipment 9,880,000 7,627,000 Translation adjustment 290,000 (365,000) Proceeds from sale of marketable securities 50,000 0 Increase in other assets (61,000) (89,000) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net cash used in investing activities (13,060,000) (18,125,000) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cash flows from financing activities: Net decrease in notes payable (4,055,000) (3,570,000) Payment of dividends (1,517,000) (759,000) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net cash used in financing activities (5,572,000) (4,329,000) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 22,176,000 1,259,000 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 2,086,000 386,000 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 24,262,000 1,645,000 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: Cash paid during each period for: Income taxes $ 27,381,000 23,856,000 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Interest $ 87,000 955,000 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements. - 4 - FASTENAL COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS September 30, 1999 and 1998 (Unaudited) (1) Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Fastenal Company and subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the Company) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information. They do not include all information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. However, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 1998. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. - 5 - ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS The following is management's discussion and analysis of certain significant factors which have affected the Company's financial position and operating results during the periods included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. First nine months of 1999 vs. 1998 - ---------------------------------- Net sales for the first nine months of 1999 were $453,884,000, an increase of 21.2% over net sales of $374,483,000 for the comparable period in 1998. The increase came primarily from higher unit sales as unit prices experienced some deflation in certain products. Higher unit sales resulted primarily from increases in sales at existing store sites. The increases in sales at existing store sites are due primarily to increases in market share and, to a lesser extent, the introduction of new product lines at the existing sites. See discussion below related to the impact of hurricane Floyd. Sites opened in 1997 or earlier had average sales increases of 14.5%. The remainder of the 21.2% sales growth came from store sites opened in 1998 and during the first nine months of 1999. Twenty-four new store sites were added from October 1998 through September 1999. During the first nine months of 1999, 23 new sites were opened; all sites opened as Fastenal(R) stores. The total sites at the end of the third quarter were 788, which consisted of 729 Fastenal(R) stores and 59 satellite stores. The following table indicates product lines added to the original Fastenal(R) product line, the year of introduction, and the approximate percentage of total net sales related to each product line during the nine months ended September 30, 1999 and 1998: PRODUCT LINE INTRODUCED 1999 1998 ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Tools 1993 12.6% 12.0%/1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Cutting tools 1996 5.0% 4.9% ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Hydraulics & pneumatics 1996 3.9% 3.4% ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Material handling 1996 5.8% 5.0%/1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Janitorial supplies 1996 1.7% 1.5%/1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Electrical supplies 1997 1.1% */1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Welding supplies 1997 * * ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Safety supplies 1999 * */1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- * Less than 1% of net sales /1/ During the second quarter of 1999, a safety supplies product line was added. This product line consists of product formerly included in the Tools product line and, to a lesser extent, the Material handling, Janitorial supplies, and Electrical supplies product lines. Restated comparable numbers were not readily available. - 6 - ITEM 2. (continued) Net earnings for the first nine months of 1999 were $49,567,000, an increase of 22.6% over net earnings of $40,435,000 for the comparable period in 1998. Operating income grew 20.2% from 1998 to 1999, a rate of growth less than the net sales rate of growth. The slower rate of growth in operating income occurred primarily because costs of sales increased at a 22.3% rate, a rate greater than the net sales growth rate. The impact of the lower gross profit was partially offset because operating expenses increased at a 20.2% rate, a rate less then the net sales growth rate. Net earnings increased at a 22.6% rate, a rate greater than the net sales growth rate, primarily because the elimination of outstanding debt caused the Company to have net interest income in 1999 versus net interest expense in 1998. The Company site personnel totaled 3,471 on September 30, 1999, an increase of 14.7% over the 3,025 on December 31, 1998. The first nine months of 1999 showed a continuation of the lower sales growth rate experienced in the second half of 1998. This weakness relates to a slowdown in the manufacturing activity of customers we sell to in the U.S. and Canada. The weakness also reflects the impact of some deflation in the prices received for the sale of certain products. The impacts related specifically to the third quarter are discussed below. As was discussed in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1999, the Company estimated at the time that it would open approximately 50 store sites in 1999. The Company currently expects to open approximately 20 store sites in the fourth quarter of 1999. This will bring the 1999 total to approximately 43 store sites. The Company will continue to modify the planned openings throughout the year based on current results and the strength of the industrial marketplace. Three months ended September 30, 1999 vs. 1998 - ---------------------------------------------- Net sales for the three months ended September 30, 1999 were $159,359,000, an increase of 21.3% over net sales of $131,349,000 for the comparable period in 1998. The increase came primarily from higher unit sales as unit prices experienced some deflation in certain products. Higher unit sales resulted primarily from increases in sales at existing store sites. The increases in sales at existing store sites are due primarily to increases in market share and, to a lesser extent, the introduction of new product lines at the existing sites. Sites opened in 1997 or earlier had average sales increases of 16.0%. The remainder of the 21.3% sales growth came from store sites opened in 1998 and during the first nine months of 1999. During September 1999, the Company was impacted by several external factors. Hurricane Floyd reduced net sales growth in the month of September by approximately $500,000. This impact was primarily felt in North Carolina and parts of New Jersey. In addition, rising fuel costs increased transportation expenses by approximately $300,000. The Company continues to see weakness in some sectors of United States manufacturing. Because of this, management anticipates the sales trends of the third quarter will continue throughout the fourth quarter. During the three months ended September 30, 1999, 10 new sites were opened; all sites opened as Fastenal(R) stores. - 7 - ITEM 2. (continued) The following table indicates product lines added to the original Fastenal(R) product line, the year of introduction, and the approximate percentage of total net sales related to each product line during the three months ended September 30, 1999 and 1998: PRODUCT LINE INTRODUCED 1999 1998 ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Tools 1993 12.5% 12.8%/1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Cutting tools 1996 4.9% 4.9% ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Hydraulics & pneumatics 1996 3.9% 3.4% ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Material handling 1996 5.7% 5.1%/1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Janitorial supplies 1996 1.7% 1.6%/1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Electrical supplies 1997 1.1% */1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Welding supplies 1997 * * ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- Safety supplies 1999 1.7 */1/ ------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- --------------- * Less than 1% of net sales /1/ During the second quarter of 1999, a safety supplies product line was added. This product line consists of product formerly included in the Tools product line and, to a lesser extent, the Material handling, Janitorial supplies, and Electrical supplies product lines. Restated comparable numbers were not readily available. Net earnings for the three months ended September 30, 1999 were $17,091,000, an increase of 21.8% over net earnings of $14,033,000 for the comparable period in 1998. Operating income grew 19.0% from 1998 to 1999, a rate of growth less than the net sales rate of growth. The slower rate of growth in operating income occurred primarily because costs of sales increased at a 23.1% rate, a rate greater than the net sales growth rate. The impact of the lower gross profit was partially offset because operating expenses increased at a 20.1% rate, a rate less then the net sales growth rate. Net earnings increased at a 21.8% rate, a rate greater than the net sales growth rate, primarily because the elimination of outstanding debt caused the Company to have net interest income in 1999 versus net interest expense in 1998. The Company site personnel totaled 3,471 on September 30, 1999, an increase of 3.6% over the 3,352 on June 30, 1999. See discussion above related to external impacts on operations during 1999. Liquidity and Capital Resources - ------------------------------- The higher level of sales during the nine-month period resulted in the growth of trade accounts receivable and inventories. Property and equipment increased because of the expansion of two of the Company's distribution centers and its manufacturing facility, the purchase of software and hardware for the Company's information processing, the addition of certain pickup trucks and, to a lesser extent, additions for manufacturing and warehouse equipment. Disposals of property and equipment related to the planned disposition of certain pickup trucks and semi-tractors and trailers in the normal course. Cash requirements for these asset changes were satisfied from net earnings and the proceeds of asset disposals. As of September 30, 1999, the Company had no material outstanding commitments for capital expenditures. - 8 - ITEM 2. (continued) Year 2000 Discussion - -------------------- State of Readiness - The Company's information system can be broken down into four distinct components: (1) point-of-sale (POS) system, (2) enterprise-wide information system, (3) warehouse management system, and (4) other systems/equipment. The state of readiness of each of these is as follows: Beginning early in 1996, the Company began a rewrite of its point-of-sale system (POS) which was, for the most part, completed in 1997. Testing began in 1997 and continued into 1998. As of September 30, 1999 the Company had approximately 635 stores operating with the new POS software. By the end of 1999 the Company expects to have all stores converted to the new POS software. In the event all stores are not converted by the end of 1999, the Company has been modifying its legacy POS system throughout 1998 and the first half of 1999. These modifications were materially completed and tested as of June 30, 1999. The Company plans to continue testing its POS systems for unknown issues. Beginning early in 1997, the Company began to investigate new enterprise-wide information systems to replace its legacy enterprise-wide information system. In the second quarter of 1998 the Company finalized its selection of a Year 2000 ready enterprise-wide software package and hired an independent consulting firm to assist in the design and implementation of the new software package. Although the Company has significant depth within its own information system personnel, the outside firm was hired to provide additional resources related to the design and implementation of the new system and, more specifically, to assist in the design, programming, and implementation of the key interfaces between the new enterprise system, the POS system and the warehouse management systems. The general ledger went on-line January 1999, the expense portion of accounts payable went on-line May 1999, and demand planning went on-line July 1999. The Company plans to implement additional pieces of the inventory management and financial management functions in the last quarter of 1999 and the first half of 2000. The Company has been modifying its legacy inventory management and financial management systems throughout 1998 and the first half of 1999 so that any functions not implemented on the new system by the end of 1999 continue to function in the Year 2000. These modifications were materially completed and tested as of June 30, 1999. The Company's plan related to payroll processing, which is currently performed on an in-house developed system, is to implement this module of the new enterprise software in 2000. The Company has been modifying its current payroll system throughout 1998 and the first half of 1999. These modifications were materially completed as of June 30, 1999 and materially tested as of September 30, 1999. The Company plans to continue testing these systems for unknown issues. Beginning early in 1998, the Company began to investigate new warehouse management systems to replace its legacy warehouse management system. At the same time, the Company began identifying Year 2000 issues within its current warehouse management system. The warehouse management system has relatively little date sensitive information as most of the data is limited to warehouse locations, part numbers, quantities, and other warehouse related information. The Company does not plan to replace the warehouse management system by the year 2000. The Company began rewriting portions of this software in 1998 to have it Year 2000 ready. These modifications were materially completed and tested as of June 30, 1999. The Company plans to continue testing these systems for unknown issues. - 9 - ITEM 2. (continued) Beginning early in 1998, the Company began to investigate the Year 2000 readiness of other systems/equipment. These consist primarily of technology in the Company's buildings, the Company's distribution, manufacturing, and transportation equipment, and in the Company's other infrastructure. The Company's Year 2000 Project Team will continue to conduct this investigation, which was materially complete as of June 30, 1999, throughout the rest of 1999. The Company believes, due to the age and type of equipment involved, that additional remediation efforts, if any, will be limited. In 1998 the Company's Year 2000 Project Team also began an ongoing process of evaluating suppliers regarding their plans to remediate Year 2000 issues. The Company has grouped its suppliers by the product they supply, as well as if they are a domestic or foreign supplier. The Company has chosen to mitigate its supplier risk by having multiple vendors available, when possible, for the various products supplied. No single supplier accounted for more than 5% of the Company's purchases in 1998 or in the first three quarters of 1999. In addition to suppliers, the Company also relies upon governmental agencies, utility companies, telecommunication service companies, financial institutions and other service providers outside of the Company's control. There can be no assurance that such governmental agencies or other third parties will not suffer a Year 2000 business disruption that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, or operating results. Costs to Address the Year 2000 Issue - The total cost for hardware, software, and implementation related to the POS system is estimated at $8.0 million. The total cost for hardware, software, and implementation related to the enterprise-wide information system is estimated at $9.0 million. The Company has approximately $1.1 million yet to spend on its new POS system and approximately $2.3 million yet to spend on the new enterprise-wide information system. The Company does not separately track internal costs incurred for the Year 2000 issue. The internal costs primarily consist of payroll and related expenses. The costs included above represent the total estimated costs related to the new POS and enterprise-wide systems. The Company believes these costs are not, for the most part, directly related to Year 2000 issues; but rather, are new systems needed in the normal course due to the rapid growth the Company has experienced over the last several years. The Company does not have an estimate on Year 2000 remediation costs for its warehouse management system or its other systems/equipment, but the Company believes that such costs will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or operating results. Management anticipates funding the costs to address the Year 2000 issue with cash generated from operations, from borrowing capacity, and from available cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. - 10 - ITEM 2. (continued) Risks Presented By the Year 2000 Issue - There may be unanticipated delays in completing the Company's planned Year 2000 remediation and, as the process of inventorying the systems proceeds, the Company may identify additional systems that present a Year 2000 risk. In addition, if any third parties who provide goods or services essential to the Company's business activities fail to appropriately address their Year 2000 issues, such failure could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, or operating results. For example, a Year 2000 related disruption on the part of the financial institutions which process the Company's cash transactions could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or operating results. Contingency Plans - The Company's Year 2000 Project Team's initiatives include the development of contingency plans in the event the Company has not completed all of its remediation plans in a timely manner. In addition, the Year 2000 Project Team is in a continuous process of developing contingency plans in the event that any third parties who provide goods or services essential to the Company's business fail to appropriately address their Year 2000 issues. The Company contingency plans were materially completed on September 30, 1999; however, modifications to these plans are expected throughout 1999. The Year 2000 Project Team consists of personnel from management, information systems/technology and legal areas. The Company's contingency planning focused on: (1) defining key communication paths within the organization, (2) establishing levels of responsibility and authority in the Company's distributed workforce if a Year 2000 issue makes normal operations difficult, and (3) working throughout the entire Company to establish manual procedures to accomplish critical business processes. The contingency plan consists of a communication strategy and contact list, a redefinition of roles and responsibility for "critical" situations, and the creation of manual procedures at all levels of the Company to deal with the loss of power, the loss of phone service, or the loss computer systems. The Company also has plans to alter a number of the normal end of year activities in order to be better prepared for any problems which may arise and to increase the monitoring of inventory related to certain parts considered key items. Certain Risks and Uncertainties - ------------------------------- This discussion contains statements that are not historical in nature and that are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding anticipated sales trends, planned store openings, planned technology conversions and remediation of Year 2000 issues. The following factors are among those that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements: (i) an upturn or downturn in the economy could impact sales at existing stores and the rate of new store openings, (ii) a change, from that projected, in the number of smaller communities able to support future store sites could impact the rate of new store openings, (iii) the ability of the Company to develop product expertise at the store level, to identify future product lines that complement existing product lines, to transport and store certain hazardous products and to otherwise integrate new product lines into the Company's existing stores and distribution network could impact sales and margins, (iv) the ability of the Company to successfully attract and retain qualified personnel to staff the Company's smaller community stores could impact sales at existing stores and the rate of new store openings, - 11 - ITEM 2. (continued) (v) changes in governmental regulations related to product quality or product source traceability could impact the cost to the Company of regulatory compliance, (vi) inclement weather could impact the Company's distribution network, (vii) foreign currency fluctuations or changes in trade relations could impact the ability of the Company to procure products overseas at competitive prices and the Company's foreign sales, (viii) disruptions caused by the implementation of the Company's new management information systems infrastructure could impact sales, (ix) unforeseen disruptions associated with "Year 2000 Computer Problems" could impact sales and the Company's ability to order and pay for product, and (x) changes in the rate of new store openings could impact expenditures for computers and other capital equipment. ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK The Company is exposed to certain market risks from changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in these factors cause fluctuations in the Company's earnings and cash flows. The Company evaluates and manages exposure to these market risks as follows: Interest Rates - The Company has a $10 million line of credit of which $0 was outstanding at September 30, 1999. The line bears interest at .9% over the LIBOR rate. Foreign Currency Exchange Rates - Foreign currency fluctuations can affect the Company's net investments and earnings denominated in foreign currencies. The Company's primary exchange rate exposure is with the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar. The Company's estimated net earnings exposure for foreign currency exchange rates was not material at September 30, 1999. PART II - OTHER INFORMATION ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K (a) Exhibits: 3.1 Restated Articles of Incorporation of Fastenal Company, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Fastenal Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1993) 3.2 Restated By-Laws of Fastenal Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Registration Statement No. 33-14923) 27 Financial Data Schedule (b) Reports on Form 8-K: No report on Form 8-K was filed by Fastenal Company during the quarter ended September 30, 1999. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. FASTENAL COMPANY /s/ Robert A. Kierlin --------------------------------- (Robert A. Kierlin, President) (Duly Authorized Officer) Date October 27, 1999 /s/ Daniel L. Florness ---------------- --------------------------------- (Daniel L. Florness, Treasurer) (Principal Financial Officer) INDEX TO EXHIBITS 3.1 Restated Articles of Incorporation of Fastenal Company, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Fastenal Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1993). 3.2 Restated By-Laws of Fastenal Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Registration Statement No. 33-14923). 27 Financial Data Schedule................................Electronically Filed